The present invention relates to an amusement ride, and more particularly to an amusement ride intended to give the rider the sensation of traversing a giant whirlpool.
Austrian Pat. No. 64,577 to Rodeck entitled Amusement Ride With Rotating Platforms discloses an amusement ride with several platforms a, b rotating and having inclined sliding surfaces c, c.sup.1 on part of their peripheries and from which persons, vehicles f, etc., on the platform are thrown off under the effect of centrifugal force. Inclined surfaces c, c.sup.1 are advantageously made of fabric such as cloth that is supported on a frame construction. The vehicles are wider towards the bottom and filled with sand or other ballast and include sliding rollers or balls e embedded in the bottom surface of the vehicles to facilitate sliding on the platforms. The rider can reach the vehicles or the platform via elevators, catwalks, etc. A rotating crane p can also be provided for this purpose. The outermost platform or surface is surrounded entirely or in part by a water basin z, which is to be constructed for ambulant amusement rides by spreading a waterproof material k over a scaffolding support.
German Pat. No. 370,354 to Rodeck discloses an amusement ride including a rotating platform a, a vehicle b capable of carrying persons, a barrier c surrounding most of platform a, a retractable roller barrier c.sup.1 surrounding the remainder of platform a, and a body of water e located on the side of retractable barrier c.sup.1 opposite the side on which the rotating platform is disposed. The vehicles are placed at the center of the rotating platform and move to its circumference until they reach the barrier c. The vehicles rub against the roller barrier as a result of centrifugal force. A draw-link z is guided over a roll m to permit roller barrier c.sup.1 to be lifted or lowered. Rotating platform a has a declivity at its center and has a surface which ascends toward the edge so that the vehicles do not slide too suddenly toward the edge. When the vehicles b reach barrier c, the vehicles whirl as a result of centrifugal pressure around their vertical axis, the outer edge of the vehicles having been provided with ribbing for engaging against the barrier. The edge c or the retractable edge portion c.sup.1 disappears to permit the vehicles to slide into water basin e located behind the lowed barrier c.sup.1.
U.S. Pat. No. 779,464 to Bruce discloses a whirlpool amusement ride to give the riders the experience of the sensation of being in a ship caught by a whirlpool and carried round and round on a spiral track provided on an inverted cone. A circular building a is constructed of bricks. It is about 100 feet in diameter and open at the top, which is 50 feet high. Inside building a, a frame work b forms an inverted cone and carries supports c on which a road-bed is povided for rails d d. As shown in FIG. 1 of Bruce, the road-bed is arranged in spiral form and runs around the inverted cone down to the bottom where a central circular space j of about 20 feet in diameter is left free. Water about one foot deep fills space j. The vessel e filled with passengers is hauled up to the top of building a on a road-bed g by means of suitable machinery h, which is either steam or electric powered. The vessel has small wheels i which ride on tracks d d. Water is made to flow down on the spiral track and over same. Canvass k is provided to cover supports c and cone b and provide a surface over which water flows down. The engine of machinery h pumps the water up to the top through pipes 1, m into the pipe n, which is provided with a number of openings o through which the water is discharged onto the tracks and canvass. The vehicle is propelled under the force of gravity and guided by the tracks provided inside building a. Only one vessel is in operation in the ride at any one time. When the vessel and passengers reach the bottom of the inverted cone, they experiece a sensation as if a ship was sucked down into the depths of the ocean by the irresistible force of the water. A channel f leads from the bottom of the inverted cone outside the building where the passengers disembark and new passengers are taken on. The vessel is then hauled up to the starting point to the top of the inverted cone from where it descends again.
U.S. Pat. No. 891,388 to Visser et al pertains to an amusement ride in which water circulates in a prescribed channel and boats carrying riders are elevated and then caused to descend an incline. A large diameter and shallow reservoir 1 preferably defines a circular outline. A spiral wall 2 subdivides basin 1 to provide a spiral passing 3. Basin 1 and spiral wall 2 made be constructed of concrete or masonry. A tunnel 4 is constructed beneath a side portion of basin 1 and extends from the center to the outer edge and connects opposite ends of spiral passage 3. A water wheel 5 is located in tunnel 4 to ensure circulation of water thorugh the tunnel and around the spiral channel or water course. Water wheel 5 is driven to cause water to circulate from the periphery of basin 1 to the center and then outward through tunnel 4. An elevated platform 7 is located at one side of basin 1 and inclines 8 and 9 connect opposite ends of platform 7 with opposite ends of spiral passage 3. Incline 8 is a chute down which boats slide and receive an initial impetus before entering the outer end of spiral passage 3. Incline 9 returns the boats to the platform and is provided with elevating means to carry the boats upward along same. The elevating means consists of an elevating chain with bars or links connected by rods and having cogs which are adapted to engage the boats. The boats 19 are flat botton and formed with a medial channel 20 in its bottom to receive the elevating chain. Cogs located near the rear end of the boat extend into channel 20 and are adapted to be engaged by elevating cogs 16 of the elevating chain.
In U.S. Pat. No. 920,567 to Hayes, an amusement device comprises a hollow body 5 with a semi-ellipsoidal shape in its interior and having an inwardly-turned flange at its upper edge which is a free edge. An inner seat 6 is provided midway its width on the side of body 5. A central circular seat 14 is provided at the bottom center inside body 5. The passengers seat themselves on seat 14 initially when body 5 is stationary. Then body 5 is seat in revolution, and the passengers are moved from seat 14 under centrifugal action up the sides of body 5 and sit on seat 6 where they are sustained at approximately right angles to natural sitting posture.
None of the prior art structures gives the rider the sensation of traversing the edge of a giant whirlpool.